Halfway between Sorrento and Positano, in the Massa Lubrense area of the Amalfi coast, is the small town of St. Agata. Perched above the Mediterranean Sea, it is a somewhat sleepy little village with a giant heart. The people are kind and generous. The atmosphere is relaxed and oozes the kind of charm you dream of when you think of a holiday in the Italian countryside. We stayed in a small villa – Fontanarosa – down a narrow winding country road just outside of St Agata. The broad porch faced onto the sea just above the Li Galli islands – famed as the islands of the Sirens who enticed sailors onto the rocks and were thwarted by the infamous Ulysses. The islands are now privately owned – and have been for many years, boasting past owners that include Rudolf Nureyev. They can only be accessed by invitation. Alas, we were not among the elite invitees! A steady stream of extravagant yachts sailed by daily on their way to and from Positano. Occasionally seafaring adventurers anchored around Li Galli, no doubt answering the Sirens call.
Each morning the fishing boats would head out very early and venture back just as the ferries and yachts and pleasure boats criss-crossed back and forth between Sorrento and Positano.
St Agata is a tight little community of multi-generational families running the local businesses. The tourist season from April until October brings in a flock of visitors that bolster the economy and sustain the locals through the winter. Our taxi driver Vincenzo grew up in the community and is raising his family there along with siblings, many nieces, nephews and lifelong friends.
We hired Vincenzo to chauffeur us around during our stay after being denied a rental car. Unfortunately, we had failed to obtain international drivers licenses before we left Canada. In retrospect, it was a blessing to be denied that car as the serpentine roads are treacherously narrow and the Italian drivers far more adroit at squeezing past one another than we would ever have been. Did I mention there are more than 1300 hairpin curves between Sorrento and Positano….a distance of about 20 kilometres.
Vincenzo was not just a driver but an endless source of great advice, pithy humour and enormous kindness. When we left Italy, we all bid a tearful goodbye and Vicenzo declared we were like his sisters.
Among our favourite activities was our marvelous cooking class at the Chez Barone Cooking School. The wonderful Anna (coincidently also a resident of St Agata) coached us through four courses, from-scratch pizza dough and fried pizza to handmade ravioli in a fabulous tomato sauce, zucchini style lasagna, and a delightful limoncello tiramisu. There were wine pairings and of course, lots of limoncello – the signature drink of the Amalfi after all!
The countryside is famed for lemons and olives – both grow literally everywhere although you cannot pick them! I would add high praise for the fabulous tomatoes as well. We were enthralled with the tomatoes and bought armloads of them, fresh on the vine, every time we got near our favourite produce shop. Each morning, I made a heaping bowl of bruschetta with shallots, plenty of fresh garlic, salt and pepper, red wine vinegar and local olive oil. Boules of fresh artisan bread were ripped apart and the tomatoes would disappear in no time. We never tired of them.
Sorrento has some of the loveliest shops and the labyrinth of vendors just off the Piazza St Antony is a fun shopping spree. We were inundated with all things lemon – from the ubiquitous limoncello to every imaginable garment, textile, linen and ceramic object. And we were irresistibly drawn to the beautiful Italian linens and the pops of colour that surrounded us.
Capri is popular if you have the time. We did enjoy the blue grotto although it was a surprise to discover we had to lie down in the bottom of a tiny boat, stacked on top of one another, to be whisked through the tiny entrance into the grotto and then whipped back out. We had many laughs with two women from Portugal we were paired with, one of whom spent the trip nestled in my arms, between my friend and I. The chair lift to the top of the island is worth it for the relaxing ride and spectacular views. Capri is a beehive of shopping and eating and navigating the crush of people and tour busses and caters to all tastes and budgets.
Similarly, Positano with its multitude of tight s-curves as you drive up the coast and the magnificent city scape is worth a visit or two. We started at the top of the town, shopping and eating our way down, down, down to the beach and then leisurely strolling back up to the top of the vertical town. Again, it was a feast for the eyes and senses.
An evening with the three tenors, after a sumptuous dinner at Tazzo restaurant, was wonderful. The Museo Correale de Terranova is a grand venue with an intimate performance room. While all the tenors were very good, Francesco Fortes was spectacular!
We managed to spend many lazy days at the villa as well. At the bottom of our winding narrow road – about a kilometer away – was a truly wonderful little shop, La Palma Pasta All’uovo that made fresh ravioli every day as well as other pasta and accompaniments for home dining. We purchased ravioli and pasta a few times from the lovely owner and enjoyed a variety of pasta dishes – with tomato sauce, with pesto, a carbonara and a zucchini pasta as well – and our group declared those some of our very favourite meals of the trip!
Strolling into St Agata was a nice little two kilometer walk once we discovered a small goat path that cut off a full kilometer from the hike. It was pleasant to wander up and down the hilly roads, past the church – St Maria Della Neve – take the upper road past the convent and the Madonna de Fatima park and outdoor stations of the cross, past the goats and the cows, watch for the milkman in his little truck on his rounds collecting milk for cheese making, give a nod to the huge statue of Jesus in the landscaping yard, resist a visit to the deceptively large and tempting hardware and general store that was like a treasure trove of merchandise. Do I really need any of these things – pots, dishes, glue, paper, face cream, candles, plant pots, hair dye, a shovel, a grater, tongs, a porcelain figurine, an ice cube tray – well, yes, perhaps some toilet paper and some hair clips, or how about that rope or a few yards of printed vinyl tablecloth, or a hammock or some gravel …..we were on a short stay though so, perhaps not!
Down past the school and around the corner to Conad, the local supermarket and deli. From there a quick stop at Bleu Moon for iced tea and coffee and maybe one of those gorgeous Pain au Suisse pastries! Further along the main street – oh, there’s Vincenzo and his cab driving pals sitting in the town square – a wave and a promise to be back for a ride once our bags and arms are full – and around the corner to the little store with the most beautiful produce. Something new every day and always the tomatoes, fresh on the vine, irresistible, and the gorgeous fruit, and stacks of bread of every kind – perhaps crusty rolls for lunch, a boule of course for the bruschetta. The fish store next door has fresh eels but a questioning look at my friends and no, no eel for us tonight! Ok, let’s go get Vincenzo to take us back to the villa! It’s 30 degrees and the pool is calling!
It was a sublime holiday, surpassing every expectation! Ciao Vincenzo and St Agata and the delightful Amalfi coast! Arrivederci!
Maurine Karagianis....thinking out loud! 